Audio’s role in the evolution of live streamed games

The iGaming industry has become an absolute behemoth of a sector in the last decade. In 2009, Statista revealed that global iGaming market was worth $20.5bn, as the era of smartphone devices and tablets was beginning to be ushered in. Fast forward the clock to 2019 and it’s forecast that the iGaming sector will be valued at £55bn worldwide, with online classic casino games and sports betting comprising the largest share of the market.

Perhaps the biggest development in the iGaming industry in recent years has been the live streaming revolution, with players able to get a hugely immersive, realistic gaming experience from the comfort of their own home or even on the move via their mobile devices. The biggest development for the iGaming industry has been players’ desire to get the most realistic casino experience as possible and live-streamed casino table games have certainly made that a possibility by bringing the sights and sounds of the casino floor to desktop and mobile screens.

Today, all types of blackjack games – from classic to Atlantic City-style blackjack – are hosted live by professional dealers who are well-versed in the art of communicating with their online players via live streaming technology. These players can increasingly place bets on blackjack and other casino table games such as roulette and baccarat with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin as well as fiat currencies.

Where audio has really come into its own during the evolution of live casino games is players’ ability to interact with the dealer and enjoy the same level of banter and rapport that they can get in a land-based casino. It’s not just the ability to hear the dealer that makes live streamed casino games so immersive, it’s even the high-definition (HD) sounds like the cards being dealt and the chips hitting the table that make users feel part of a real-life casino.

Live multi-player casino games have also ramped up the interactive nature of iGaming sites. Players no longer have to play against computers, they can sit down at tables with other online players to compete against one another, irrespective of location. Live chat functionality allows players to text other players at their table and the friendly, outgoing dealers can get involved vocally like a traditional bricks-and-mortar casino dealer would. The low latency streaming ensures that players hear the responses of the dealers swiftly, resulting in almost instantaneous real-time interaction.

Where can live streaming technology and audio go next for the iGaming industry? The advent of augmented and virtual reality technology will almost certainly lead to players being able to don their 3D headsets and enter a virtual casino table game and see and hear other players at the table.

As virtual reality headsets become commonplace, so too will the immersive life-like audio and visual experiences of virtual casinos. They will alter players’ perception of sound and spatial awareness, making them feel like they are in the thick of the action with 360-degree interaction. The possibilities really are endless for the iGaming sector in the coming decades.